Police deployed at Jaffna Uni

The Federation of University Teachers Associations (FUTA) highlighted that there was a risk of the deployment of security forces to the University of Jaffna being seen as a government attempt to control the Tamils.

It has been reported that Police in civvies and in uniform have been deployed to the University as Sinhalese undergraduates had returned. This follows after them being evacuated following a clash.

President of the FUTA, Dr. Rangika Halwatura said that previously ever since a clash between two student groups at the University of Moratuwa had taken place, a Police checkpoint cum post had been posted at the entrance gate to the university premises, a fact which the academic staff too was not entirely happy with.

The issue at the University of Jaffna should not be dragged on as there could arise or escalate the possibility of unrest among the Sinhalese and Tamils, he added.

“The Police and Army were deployed at the time of the incident. Having a Police post is now a practice within universities. If something is going terribly uncontrollable, university authorities, the marshals and the security call the Police in. We must not antagonize anyone or any group. We must be very careful in handling this situation,” he pointed out.